The present invention relates to a self-defense weapon, and more particularly to a spring whip which can be conveniently carried by a user and can be readily available to be placed into a whipping position for emergency use, whereby the spring whip can be easily disassembled for repair, storage, and transportability.
With the continued increase in the crime rate, there is a need for effective defensive weapons. Although many such weapons are readily available, some require excessive time to place into an operative position and others are lethal and are therefore dangerous so as to be avoided by many people.
A particular type of useful defensive weapon which can be conveniently carried by a person and available for emergency situations is a spring whip. Such spring whip is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,546 as a device which is formed of interconnected lengths of spring. The diameters of the springs are of a sequentially increasing nature such that the springs can form a telescopic arrangement, and also permits storage of the springs within a housing. The springs can be easily placed into an extended whipping position projecting from the housing with the springs interconnected end to end to maintain their extended position for operative use.
An improved version of the spring whip is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,719. In this improved version, a weighted tip was added to the innermost, smallest diameter spring, serving both as a closure for the housing and also facilitating the projection of the springs into their extended whipping position. The improved spring whip also provided a magnet placed within a cap which serves to seal the housing with the magnet retaining the springs in their stored position. The springs are formed of magnetic attractive material.
Both of these aforementioned patents maintained the springs in their extended whipping position by having the inner ends of one connected spring outwardly flared, while the distal ends of the other connected spring were arranged with an inwardly tapered end, so as to effect a wedging engagement between the adjacent spring lengths.
A further improved version of the spring whip has been described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,255, wherein the lengths of springs were alternately would in opposing clockwise and counter clockwise directions in order to improve the movement of the springs between a retracted telescoped position and an extended position without locking the springs during such movement, and in order to improve the wedging engagement between the adjacent springs in their extended position. Additionally, an assortment of extension members were described for threading onto a sealing cap on the spring whip to provide additional defensive capabilities to the defensive weapon.
While each of these various spring whips have been found to be highly effective and of great use, additional improvements would be desirable. All of the prior art whips were entirely sealed, thereby preventing easy replacement of a damaged part. Because they were sealed, they could not be reduced to a knock down state and disassembled to permit easy transportability of its component parts.
Additionally, while the aforementioned wedging action adequately served to place the extended lengths of springs in a projected position, pressure upon the distal end of the extended springs may serve to collapse the springs, and thereby prevent striking capabilities of the device. There is, accordingly needed a releasable locking mechanism which can lock the extended lengths of springs in their whipping position and prevent their collapsing .
In the spring whip described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,546, there is included a series of weights disposed within one of the springs to add additional striking force to the spring. These weights were free to slide within the spring and, accordingly, could slide away from the striking end at the moment of striking, and would therefore not always provide the striking force intended.
Accordingly, further improvements to the spring whip defensive weapon of the aforementioned prior art patents is warranted to further enhance the efficiency and capabilities of such defensive weapons.